Family Reunion from Somalia

Family Reunion from Somalia

Syrian refugee crisis information

Syrian refugee crisis

Trafficked young lady from Nigeria

Trafficked young lady from Nigeria

Advice and Employment

CLEAR offers advice, information and guidance for refugees and asylum seekers. CLEAR’s employment service provides support to clients with their job search process.

English and Learning

CLEAR ESOL classes are suitable for a range of learners, including those who have never spoken the English language before. CLEAR is an approved Adult Learning Provider and offers a range of short courses which are primarily aimed at increasing the skills needed for work and volunteering opportunities for our client group.

Volunteers

CLEAR relies on volunteers to provide much needed extra capacity alongside its paid staff in many different roles and across all services. We see great value in volunteering as a progression route for clients who are looking for work experience in the UK to add to their CV, or as a way for them to meet people, make friends and practice speaking English.

In the mind of the public when asked about who the immigrants are, respondents were most likely to think of asylum seekers (62%) and least likely to think of students (29%).

The opposite is actually true, in current official (ONS) statistics, students represent the largest group of immigrants coming to the UK (37% of 2009 immigrant arrivals) while asylum seekers are the smallest group (4% in 2009).
(Facts from The Migration Observatory)

Almost all asylum seekers are not allowed to work and are forced to rely on state support.
Asylum support (the payment given to asylum seekers to meet their essential living needs) has been frozen since 2011. Today it’s as low as 51% of the equivalent level of income support: around £5.23 a day.
This means that people seeking asylum, who are effectively prohibited from working, can’t adequately feed their families, buy warm clothes, or pay for transport, toiletries or childcare. They can’t live with dignity – just because they’ve sought safety in the UK.
Join the campaign for justice http://www.refugee-action.org.uk/support_us/campaign/join_a_campaign/1152_bring_back_dignity_to_our_asylum_support_system

Asylum seekers do not jump the queue for council housing and they cannot choose where they live. They can be sent to any of the dispersal centres organised throughout the country and can be moved at any time. The accommodation allocated to them is not paid for by the local council, there is another provider working for the home office that provides it. It is nearly always ‘hard to let’ properties, where other people do not want to live.

Our Partners

CLEAR seeks to improve the quality of life of refugees and asylum seekers by providing free advice and supporting people to access local services. We believe in empowerment through education and in practical action to support the settled and developing refugee communities.